GOP, religious right scared about backlash on marriage debate

It's fascinating when both the lead religious right hate group and the head of the Republican party play nice on same-sex marriage. LA Times:

Sen. Rand Paul, who said he wasn't sure President Obama's views on marriage "could get any gayer," was rebuked by an influential evangelical leader Sunday.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, appearing onCBS' "Face the Nation," strongly disagreed with the Kentucky Republican's choice of words.

"I don't think this is something we should joke about," Perkins said. "We are talking about individuals who feel very strongly one way or the other, and I think we should be civil, respectful, allowing all sides to have the debate.... I think this is not something to laugh about. It's not something to poke fun at other people about. This is a very serious issue."

The head of the RNC concurred.

I've been noticing a lot of Republicans (at the national level at least) getting awfully squirmy on this issue, in contrast to the usual fire and brimstone they used to throw out. Clearly they're worried that the country "is" increasingly embracing gay rights, and that too strong an opposition will be seen as intolerant.

That doesn't mean they'll stop being bigots. It simply means they're now couching their language in kinder and gentler tones, such as this guy I debated on CNN yesterday. Note how he went to lengths to explain how opposition to marriage equality is not based in bigotry. It's only based on a love of traditional marriage (yeah, the same way racist southerns loved "traditional marriage" between whites only).

It's fascinating when both the lead religious right hate group and the head of the Republican party play nice on same-sex marriage. LA Times:

Sen. Rand Paul, who said he wasn't sure President Obama's views on marriage "could get any gayer," was rebuked by an influential evangelical leader Sunday.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, appearing onCBS' "Face the Nation," strongly disagreed with the Kentucky Republican's choice of words.

"I don't think this is something we should joke about," Perkins said. "We are talking about individuals who feel very strongly one way or the other, and I think we should be civil, respectful, allowing all sides to have the debate.... I think this is not something to laugh about. It's not something to poke fun at other people about. This is a very serious issue."

The head of the RNC concurred.

I've been noticing a lot of Republicans (at the national level at least) getting awfully squirmy on this issue, in contrast to the usual fire and brimstone they used to throw out. Clearly they're worried that the country "is" increasingly embracing gay rights, and that too strong an opposition will be seen as intolerant.

That doesn't mean they'll stop being bigots. It simply means they're now couching their language in kinder and gentler tones, such as this guy I debated on CNN yesterday. Note how he went to lengths to explain how opposition to marriage equality is not based in bigotry. It's only based on a love of traditional marriage (yeah, the same way racist southerns loved "traditional marriage" between whites only).